Thursday: Week 10

Israel agreed to give up control of the West Bank and the Gaza strips in the Oslo peace accords. The Oslo peace accords also called for mutual recognition by both sides. However, the issue of Israel settlements and the building of the Gaza Wall has provoked controversy in the region. Israel built the wall to include the settlements and the Palestinian oppose the construction of the wall because of the security that will have to undergo to enter Israel. Unlike the United States, there is no rule against racial profiling and passing through a security checkpoint can take hours.

Today, peace is Jerusalem is a difficult thing to do. First, Israel will have to have the willpower to deal with the Israeli's living in the settlements because no peace will occur unless the settlement problem is solve. Another issue at stake is the wall. The wall might give a sense of security to Israel, but the Palestinians will be unlikely to compromise unless the boundaries of the wall are restored to the line set in the Oslo accords. The control by Hamas in the Gaza Strip will also complicate matters for peace in Israel. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by many nations and the last thing a terrorist group would like is peace in Israel. The United States has the power to exert its military might but using military power can lead nations with nuclear weapons to fire back. Today, warfare has more consequences because today's weapons can destroy the earth if they are used improperly.

Tuesday: Week 10

In the early days of Jerusalem, the temple gives a physical presence. Ezekiel predicted the destruction of the temple when he states that god is mobile and you can be a Jew without a temple. The site of Jewish tradition, as a result, moved from the temple to the Wall. Today the Western Wall is considered the most holy site in all of Judaism. Some websites even allow you to send prayers to the Western Wall. The Western Wall basically replaced the temple in modern Judaism.

The two state solution is that the Jews and Palestinians both get their own states. The Peel Plan was an attempt to compromise and it was barely accepted by the Jews, but rejected by the Palestinians. However, the peel plan in retrospect was good for the Palestinians because the Palestinians only have control of the West Bank and the Gaza strip today.  Today, the West Bank and Gaza strip is full of conflict and most Palestinians would rather have peace than fight for more land.

Turkish Jerusalem

The size of Jerusalem rapidly decreased after the Turkish obtained control of Jerusalem. Jerusalem became a place where people were exiled to during this period. However, despite the shrinking population of Jerusalem, the Jewish quarter continued to grow. The Ramban synagogues acted as the Jewish center. Part of the reason for the Jewish attraction to Jerusalem is the myth of the divine presence in Zion. Attitudes towards the Jewish were mixed, some rulers encouraged Jewish immigration while others banned Jews from the city.

After the destruction of the temple, myths about Jerusalem migrated to the Western Wall. The Western Wall is the retaining structure on which the temple was built. Today the Western Wall is considered the holiest site in Judaism. Therefore, prayers made in Jerusalem at the Western Wall hold a greater significance than prayers made elsewhere.

Tuesday: Week 9

The Crusades started when a Roman pope encouraged citizens of Rome to travel to Jerusalem to take it back for the Muslims. Crusaders were granted pardon for their sins as a reward.The first group of Crusades were ill-prepared and suffered devastation losses when they traveled pass Turkey. However, increased funding for the Crusades eventually led to the control of Jerusalem by the Christians but the threat faced by the Muslims always remains. By now, the three religions all consider Jerusalem home and conflict is bound to arise as a result.

The group called the Teutonic Knights provided protection for the Crusaders. Initially the force was overwhelmed by the Muslims but funding from Europe increased their effectiveness. This group has became a source of legend for the Crusades, and the Teutonic Knights are associated for honor and bravery. Despite the efforts of the knights to stop the incoming waves of Muslims, the Muslims still regained control of Jerusalem one hundred years after the Christians took over.

Thursday: Week 8

The Islamic period of Jerusalem starts in 638 CE when the Jerusalem is captured by the Muslims. The faith of Islam is divided into two sects: Shiites and Sunni. The Shiites are a kinship based caliphate and the Sunni people are a tradition-based caliphate. Initially, the Muslims did not allow Jewish settlement but they later allowed Jews to move back into the city.

The Islamic faith is made up of five traditions. One of the main traditions was that devote Muslims must pray five times a day towards Mecca. The prayer is directed at the Kaabam, a cube shaped, marble base. The kaaba used to contain hundreds of idols pre-Muhammad, but Muhammad removed the false idols. The removals of the false idols caused massive controversy and this action cemented the status of Muhammad in Islam.

One interesting thing to note is that one prayer made in Mecca is worth 100,000 elsewhere, a prayer made in Medina is worth 1,000 elsewhere, and a prayer made is Jerusalem is worth 500 elsewhere. This tells us that these places had a significant role in the growth of Islam.

Week 8:Tuesday

Herod died in 4CE. This period of Roman rule was characterized by Roman procurator and an ineffective government. Archelaus was one of the key figures after the death of was the ethnarch of Judah. He was highly ineffective and he ruled for less than 10 years. There were also two other tetrarch, Herod Antipas and Herod Phillip. Both of those rulers were more effective because they control less area and had fewer internal problems.

The coins minted during this period reflect the state of the society. After the defeat of Jerusalem by the Romans, the coins consisted of an image of Jerusalem. Propaganda of a king can also be achieved through minting. Having the image of a king on a coin can enhance the power of the king. The reason behind this is because people will look at the image of the king every time they buy something.

Week 7: Thursday

During the Byzantine period, a schism emerged between Judaism and Christianity. Jerusalem acted as a symbolic part of both religions. There were many NT apocalypses about Jerusalem, such as the temple came down and Luke 21: 20-24 predicted the future of Jerusalem. However, predictions in the Bible might have been written after the fact, and that is a question that divides many archaeologists.

Christianity also explained massive growth during this period. The Byzantine rulers of Jerusalem used Christianity to unify the kingdom. The Edict of Milan legalizes Christianity. Constantine had a massive influence on orthodox Christianity. One effect was the first Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the new Axis Mundi. However, it is still important to remember to there was never an official religion in Jerusalem, and the leaders legalized Christianity to prevent religion from dividing the kingdom.

Tuesday: Week 7

Roman rule in Jerusalem started in 63 BCE. Herod the great was one of the major kings during this period and tried to balance Jewish interests with Roman interests. His legacy was defined by the massive building projects, including the Herodian temple, Robinson's arch, and the triple gate. The Jewish people had jobs because there were always building projects that cemented the legacy of Herod. My personal opinion of Herod is that he was a dictator, but some that did just enough for the people that massive rebellions did not take place.

One of the main building projects during this period was the Herodian temple. The Herodian temple was considered the 3rd temple because he restored the temple to its former glory under Solomon. This temple stood until the Islamic occupation of Jerusalem in 628 CE. The western wall also took its current form because of the expansion under Herod, and people began to write prayer under the wall. The prayers made the western wall one of the most holy sites in Judaism.

Thursday: Week 6

The Hellenistic period describes Greek influence in Jerusalem. This period experienced the secular leadership of the priests and the high priests are responsible for administrative and religious affairs. Priests had tremendous influence during this period and advocated the "very pro-Roman" culture during this period. Since the Greeks appointed the priests, it is to be expected that they follow the commands of the Romans. If not, the Greeks will depose of a high priest to put one that will do what you want. Aspects of a Greek culture are making residents speak Greek, building gymnasiums, and theaters for entertainment. The influence of Greek culture even made to it to Christianity.

Hasmonean Jerusalem covers the period after rebellion against the Greek overlords. The overthrow of the Greek was orchestrated by Judas Maccabaeus, and the successful revolt led to the control of the Jerusalem and temple by the Israelites. The holiday Hanukkah was commemorated to celebrate the victory. This period, from 165-63 BCE was the last time that the Jews will be in control of their government until the establishment of Israel. Unfortunately, this period of self rule was marked by Hasmonean rulers becoming increasing Hellenized, secular, and corrupt. Religion was used as an excuse for some of the actions committed by the Hasmonean rulers.

Week 6: Tuesday

During the Persian period, the building of the "2nd temple" took place. The building of the temple was confusing for many Jewish during this period because Ezekiel had a vision of a "mobile throne of God". The mobile throne of God is written in the same apocalyptic style as his other visions, and God moves with the help of wheels instead of poles. The Arc of the Covenant is not found in the list of things found in Jerusalem and in Ezekiel's vision, it is replaced by his mobile throne of the God. Ezekiel's vision was probably that the arc of the covenant was replaced by something that had more mobility for the god.

The Persians were more diplomatic than the Babylonians. They allowed the Jewish people to return to their homeland, but subjected them to heavy taxes. One interesting fact was that a Persian became the high priest of Jerusalem. Previously, all messiahs were part of the divinic line of David but that tradition disappeared after Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians.

Week 5:Tuesday

The literacy rate increased in 600BCE, and evidence is found in Lachish Letter 3 and the Ketet Hinnom amulets. In the Lachish letters, a common soldier is a able to write and as a result, a negative stigma emerges about those who cannot write. The Ketet Hinnom amulets contained a written blessing that was already found in the oral traditions.

The fate of Jerusalem closely follows the interpretation of the texts. The question emerged of what to do after the promise to David failed. Cognitive dissonance became an issue because the residents of Jerusalem were dealing with two conflicting ideas at the same time. 2 Kings 23 helps to explain the destruction of Jerusalem through theological reasons and Lamentation is a really sad poem about how this is all part of God's plan.

Biblical texts can be divided into two eras: pre-exilic and exilic. Pre-exilic refers to the time before the destruction of the temple and exilic refers to the time after the destruction of the temple. Some scholars are examining exilic texts because some texts might attempt to reinterpret the promise to David.

Thursday: Week 4

The fact that Jerusalem did not get taken by Assyria was one indication that God protected the city. The survival of Jerusalem during this period was attributed to God. In other parts of Judah, 46 cities were destroyed, exiled, and conquered by the Assyrians. In a Assyrian text, the king referenced Jerusalem by stating that he was trapped "like a bird in a cage.". This event was one of the five events that built the legend of Jerusalem.

In the Bible, the prophecy states that "God will defend this city" for my sake and for my servant's David's sake. The question remains whether the prophesy was written before or after the fact. Although God kept the promise that Jerusalem would survival, the question remains about how God allowed Soloman's temple to be destroyed.

The Deuteronomistic reforms  centralized religion. This religious reform centralized religion because it accelerated the transition from a rule by a king to a rule under a text.The alternative shrines and pillars were abolished and people had to come to Jerusalem to pray.  Under this reform, people were told to stop worshiping all these other gods and a lot of the other gods dealt with fertility promises.

Tuesday: Week 4

How do you make a golden age? The steps are to die because people get memorialized after their death, and to build a palace, kingdom, or temple. However, the golden age ended when David and Soloman died and Soloman son's took over, a person who was oppressive towards his people. Due to Soloman son's actions, the northern tribes rebelled and divided the kingdom into two parts, "Tudah", and "Israel".

The new shrines of worship in Bethel and Danwas built by the northern tribes were criticized in the Bible. The purpose of these alternative shrines was to serve as an alternative to Jerusalem after the division.  However, there were also two new shrines in the south as well at the Beer-Sheva and Arad Temples. The original sites of worship in Israel was Samaria and Jerusalem in Judah.

The 8th century saw the rise of the Assyrian empire. In 721 BCE the capital of the northern 10 tribes fall and people from the 10 tribes fled to Jerusalem. During this period the population of Jerusalem rose from 8,000 to 40,000 because people who lived in the north were under a policy of forced deportation. Urbanization of Jerusalem caused the economy of Jerusalem to grow and an wine and olive industry emerged in Jerusalem during this period. One problem that immigration to Jerusalem is that tension increased because of the cultural differences between the north and south. The north was cosmopolitan and the south was traditional/rural.

One interesting fact about the Assyrian is that the adopted the use of Aramaic from one of the people they conquered. It was much easier to use Aramaic because there were fewer characters.

Hezekiah was one of the more important rulers of Jerusalem during this period. He fortified the city's northern end and build the Hezekiah tunnel to bring water into the city. He also used the seal BMLK, or belonging to the king" for administrative purposes. Hezekiah also build 3 more administrative centers to collect grain for the growing population of Jerusalem.

Week 3: Thursday

Some of the main ideas from today's lecture

One of the most important lines in the Hebrew Bible came from 2 Samuel 7. In 2 Samuel 7, there is an eternal promise that there will be a king in the House of David. Some interpret this quote as "God makes a promise and did not fulfill it", but other interpret this quote as "Jesus was called the son of David and therefore there is a tie in the genealogy between David and Jesus".

Nathan was the prophet to David. The role that prophets play in ancient times can be compared to the role that the press plays today. Like the press, prophets rule against the king and hold the king in check.

One interpretation of why God did not want David to build a home for him was because 1 Chronicles mentions that David killed a lot of people. Therefore, Soloman and not David built the temple.

Week 3: Tuesday

The Tel Dan Inscription provided evidence in the 9th century about the existence of David. One of the lines in the Tel Dan Inscription mentioned "the House of David". However, it might have been just a reference to the people of Israel instead of a reference to King David. Since the Tel Dan Inscription was found in an archaeological context, it's authenticity is confirmed.

Everything in Jerusalem revolved around water. Debate about the Warren shaft revolved around whether it was a preexisting natural rift or a "cut shaft. There is a reference to the Warren shaft in 2 Samuel. Archaeologists are in debate about whether people drop buckets to get water from the shaft. Another route that water could have reached the city was through the Siloan channel. According to professor Cargill, the water in the shaft would support around 25,000 people.

The "ark of the covenant" was a portable throne when David arrived in Jerusalem. David brought the arc to Jerusalem and built the David's palace for the arc of the covenant. However, he did not build the temple at the top of the temple mount.

Week 2: Thursday

Canaanite Jerusalem is the period of time before David ruled Jerusalem. The main resouces that sustained Jerusalem are water from the Gihon spring, argiculture from nearby lands, and trade through the watershed highway. Note that the two other major trade routes did not pass through Jerusalem.

The earliest settlement occurred around 2,000 B.C. and proof occurred in the form of execration texts. Although not a vodoo doll, it had the property that someone would write the name of an enemy and smash the text in order to send a curse. One execution text found by archaeologists  mentioned Jerusalem by name and included several rulers of the city. The mention of Jerusalem suggests that the city was prominent enough to be considered a threat by enemies.

Several Amarna letters also mentioned the existance of Jerusalem in 2,000 B.C. During this period, Egypt was a superpower and tiny cities had to beg Egypt for money and other resources to defend themselves from enemies. Abdi-Kheba, the ruler of Jerusalem at the time, sent 6 letters requesting help for Jerusalem.

According to the professor, there are three different interpretions about how the Israelites came to Jerusalem. The three interpretions are conquest/non-conquest, immigration, and or that the Israelites were always there. Although the text in the Bible conflicts about how the Israelites came to Jerusalem, one possible reason is that the passages in the Bible are not written chronologically. Archeology suggests that the third interpretion is the most reasonable from the evidence uncovered that there is no break in occupation of Jerusalem.

Week 2: Tuesday

Ziggurat and pyramids are both man-made structures with common architectural styles. However, the main difference between ziggurats and pyramids is their primary use. Ziggurats were built as places to worship while pyramids were built as places to bury people. As a place of worship, the ziggurat was considered a place where axis mundi occurs. The plans for ziggurats were considered divine, and as a result, there was little controversy about the location and architecture of a ziggurat.

The Hebrew god had a specific name and out of respect and custom, his name is never spoken in public. Some ancient documents used 4 dots or the word LORD in all capital letters as an alternative. The reason for not writing his name was because all writen documents are considered permanent.

Axis Mundi represents the connection between earth and heaven, but also represents the connection between earth and the underworld. The Hinnon valley was considered one connection between earth and hell, and the word hell is derived from the Hinnon valley.

The Holy Sepulcher is one of the key highlights of the Christian corner of Jerusalem. Numerous denominations of Christians utilize the place for worship and the limited amount of space results in conflicts. To prevent conflict over use of the temple, the key of the Holy Sepulcher is given to a muslim.

Lecture 1/6/11

Jerusalem's geography protects it from enemy attacks. The valleys and hills to the west, south, and east of the city makes it difficult for enemies to bring battering rams and other weapons of war to the city walls. Most successful attacks on Jerusalem were from the north, so consequently the north wall of the city is the strongest. However, one disadvantage of the city's geography is that trade routes avoided Jerusalem because of the same hills and valleys that protected the city from invaders.

Water was one of the factors that affected the growth of ancient Jerusalem. As a result, tunnels had to be built to bring water from the Gihoh spring and the Siloan pool to the main city. Hezekiah tunnel was one of the main tunnels, and this tunnel pumped water from the Siloan pool to the city. Once the city had an adequate water supply, the population increased.